"They're among those Pakistanis who say CIA missile strikes are a violation of their sovereignty, and too often kill civilians. Imran Khan, the politician and former cricket star, led the protest, which was in the city of Peshawar.

"The crowd blocked a NATO supply route in a largely symblic gesture; officials said few trucks run on Saturdays. Emotions are stoked by this week's rare U.S. drone attack outside Pakistan's tribal belt.

"Five people were killed in that [Thursday] strike, including a senior figure from Afghanistan's Haqqani militant network."

The AP reports that following a recent strike, Khan tried to convince the Pakistani government to close off the supply route again. When it became clear the government would not do so, Khan arranged for this protest.

As Al Jazeera reports, the drone issue is politically tricky. Pakistan publicly denounces drone strikes, but the government is "known to have supported some of the strikes in the past."

The network says the U.S. Embassy in Islamad declined to comment on the protest.